More than fourteen years after the outbreak of war in Syria, its heavy consequences remain deeply embedded in daily life – especially for thousands of wounded people left with permanent disabilities that have reshaped their lives entirely.
In southern Syria, once a major battlefield for years of fighting, war wounded are now facing a different kind of struggle. It is quieter, but no less cruel – a struggle for survival amid a fragile healthcare system, limited resources, and the near-total absence of organised official support to address this complex humanitarian issue.
Amputation: the beginning of pain
For many of the wounded, losing a limb was not the end of their suffering, but the beginning of a new phase. One that starts with surgeries, long treatment, and rehabilitation, and continues with the search for a prosthetic limb that might allow them to move, work, and rejoin society.
The reality in southern Syria, however, shows that available prosthetic limbs fall far below minimum quality standards. Whether in materials, manufacturing, or physical fitting, many prosthetics turn from a vital aid into an additional burden – a daily source of pain that worsens over time.
Mohammad Al-Salman, one of the war wounded in southern Syria, was injured during fighting against ISIS, leading to the amputation of one of his lower limbs. Despite the physical and psychological trauma, he refused to surrender to disability or live on the margins of life. Instead, he chose a difficult path based on self-reliance.
Today, Mohammad works as a driver of a small bobcat loader, after modifying the controls from foot pedals to hand operation. He moves daily between construction sites in rural Daraa, challenging his disability and old wounds in order to earn a living without depending on insufficient aid.
Speaking to +963, he says: “Although I have a disability, I work every day in construction. The prosthetic limb itself does not prevent me from working, but the real problem is its extremely poor quality. With prolonged use, heat builds up inside it, causing severe inflammation and unbearable pain.”
He adds frustrated: “Many times, we are simply deceived. We are told a prosthetic is high quality, but after just two days we discover it is worse than the previous one. I have reached a point where I no longer trust anyone – because in the end, we pay the price, not only financially, but with our health and constant pain.”
When a wounded person considers abandoning the prosthetic
Mohammad admits that he sometimes thinks about abandoning the prosthetic altogether, despite knowing how difficult that choice would be.
“If the quality remains this bad,” he says, “I no longer need a prosthetic. I would rather work without it than endure infections, extreme heat, and daily pain while waiting for someone to provide a limb that actually helps.”
His experience mirrors that of dozens of other wounded people in southern Syria who told +963 that available prosthetics cause multiple health problems – including excessive heat, cracked skin, chronic inflammation, persistent joint and back pain, and poor balance. This increases the risk of falling or re-injury and limits their ability to work.
Medical warning: poor prosthetics can be worse than none
Medical specialists warn that substandard prosthetics can be more dangerous than not using one at all. Dr Aqla Al-Hanafi, an orthopaedic surgeon, explains that poorly made prosthetics often cause serious complications.
Speaking to +963, he says: “Prosthetics that do not meet medical standards lead to chronic infections, skin ulcers, and dangerous heat build-up inside the socket, especially in summer. They can also cause bone deformities and long-term spinal pain due to poor balance and incorrect load distribution.”
He adds: “A prosthetic limb must be custom-made for each patient using medical-grade materials that allow ventilation and reduce pressure. Any failure in these criteria leads to long-term complications and may force the patient to abandon the prosthetic altogether.”
Inside the centres: an admission of limited capacity
Workers inside prosthetic centres and charities acknowledge that the problem goes beyond goodwill. Jawad Al-Ali, an employee at an organisation providing prosthetics, told +963: “The core problem is limited capacity and the lack of real funding. High-quality prosthetics are extremely expensive, and most organisations simply cannot afford them given rising costs and shrinking support.”
He admits they are fully aware that some prosthetics do not meet the wounded’s needs, but stresses that these are the only options available in the absence of any official authority setting quality standards.
Ahmed Akrad, who works for another prosthetics charity, confirms that volunteer organisations face enormous challenges. He told +963 that high-quality prosthetics are prohibitively expensive without major donor support or direct government intervention.
The absence of the state
Humanitarian activists say the lack of government oversight has directly contributed to the spread of low-quality prosthetics without accountability. There is still no clear database documenting the number of wounded people in southern Syria or their specific disabilities, making existing solutions fragmented and temporary.
Specialists argue that addressing this issue requires a national plan – starting with accurate data collection, establishing strict quality standards for prosthetics, and providing real support to centres and organisations so they can deliver devices that respect human dignity and health needs.
The war may have ended and fighting may have stopped, but its consequences remain etched into the bodies of southern Syria’s wounded. Those who survived death now face daily battles with pain, disability, and prosthetics that fail to meet even basic human needs.
The problem is no longer the war itself, but what followed. In the absence of serious solutions, clear standards, and official responsibility, suffering continues. War took their limbs; neglect now takes their right to recovery, work, and dignity.
These are not luxury demands – they are fundamental rights. And silence on this issue is yet another betrayal of those who sacrificed their bodies. The question remains: how long will war wounded remain prisoners of prosthetics that neither fit them nor restore their right to a dignified life?
